Free The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay Page A

kidding.
    “He doesn’t see this as a poor Jamie scenario.”
    “What else is it, honey?”
    “It’s who he is. Our little boy is simply different from you or me or Brian.”
    “The Catholic Church disagrees with you.”
    “On more than this, Mike.”
    Familiar angst welled up inside him. Their disagreements about issues in the Catholic Church had caused rifts between them over the years, but compared to what this could do, those were minimal. “Our church says he’s still loved by God, Maggie, but his sexual preference is a choice, a sinful one. And he can change it.”
    “The church is wrong on this, Mike, psychologically and morally. First and foremost, who we love is a sexual orientation, not a choice, not a preference. Any religion that tells you differently is archaic and dangerous.”
    Why did she say that? How was he supposed to make this come out right if she spouted heresy?
    “Second, with that in mind, you’ve got to handle this well with Jamie.” She watched him carefully. “What you say now, when you first see him, will be the foundation of your relationship for the rest of your lives.”
    His glass hit the counter harder than he intended. “What do you think I’m going to do, cast him out of the house like a leper? For God’s sake, Maggie, I’m his father. I love him no matter what.”
    “I know you love him. But he has to feel your acceptance of him, despite your views on his sexual orientation.”
    “I realize that. And I wish to hell you didn’t think you had to tell me all this.”
    She didn’t take her words back.
    He said, “I’ll do what’s right, and part of that is staying true to God and my religion while I protect my son.”
    “I’m not sure you can do both.”
    They heard Jamie moving around upstairs. Fear flashed in her eyes.
    “Be honest with me, Maggie. You can’t want this for him, can you?”
    “I…I’m not going to think in that vein, Mike. It won’t help any of us.”
    “Denial certainly won’t help.”
    Very quietly, but in a slicing tone, she said, “Neither will disapproval.” Noise on the stairs. Jamie’s feet hit the landing with a thud. “Please, Mike, be careful.”
    Standing, he gulped the rest of his drink, set it down, and strode to the foyer, saying a quick prayer to God to help him do what was best now. One point his wife was right about—the rest of their lives were at stake.

Chapter Six
     
    Jamie so did not want to have this conversation. After his dad hugged him, he’d said, “Let’s go to the porch.” Jamie had no choice but to follow.
    They sat inside the glass enclosure that faced their wooded backyard. His mom and dad had planted two of the trees as saplings when he and Brian were little. Now they’d grown into towering maples. This room was heated, but not enough, and Jamie shivered. At least he thought that’s what caused the chill. But it could be Luke’s reneging on him and now this heart-to-heart with his father.
    “I hear you and Mom had quite a conversation today.” His dad’s tone was even, controlled. He was always calm in a crisis. And of course this was a crisis to him.
    “Uh-huh.” Damn it, Jamie’s voice cracked like it did when he went through puberty. Which was tough enough for any guy, but when you realized you might like boys, becoming a man was a nightmare.
    His dad squeezed his arm. “I love you, Jamie. Nothing can make me love you less.”
    “That’s what Mom said.”
    “It’s true. For both of us.”
    Thank God for that, anyway. It buoyed Jamie, though he knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing with his dad. A but was coming.
    Quietly, his father asked, “Want to tell me how you’re feeling about all this?”
    “I’d rather know how you’re feeling.”
    Which wasn’t quite true. There were caveats on his dad’s love, mostly if something conflicted with his unshakable faith in God. Sometimes it hurt knowing God was more important to his father than Jamie was.
    “I’m worried about you,